the other side of the tracks

I have been spending my mornings working in the garden

and in the afternoon we take long walks on the beach.

So grab your flip flops and look both ways

because we are going to "the other side of the tracks".

The term "the other side of the tracks" usually has unsavory connotations, but in this case it just means we are getting ourselves onto the beach.

"June Gloom" means gray skies, but I like to think of the beach on these days as being bathed in pastel shades.

This is one of Lulu's favorite beaches at low tide because she can chase her ball and play in the surf for miles - actually our round trip walk was 5.5 miles.

I like this beach because the houses vary from quintessential beach cottages right on the sand

to McMansions built for luxury living.

Each time we walk this beach I notice something different

like the buoys hanging along the edge of this blue house

and the little cabana covered with buoys.

These little cottages

are hidden next to a larger house

so I assume they form a compound for a large extended family.

I saw lots of workmen at this house which tells me that the owners are probably getting it ready for summer visitors.

This house

and this house sit next to each other up on the hill

and just below them is a tiny little cottage that sits right on the sand.

I enjoy the variety of stairs people have created to get themselves down to the water -

these look like they have melted into the sand.

I love the old ropes on these steps

that lead up to the cutest cottage

that I can only glimpse from below.

All the steps vary in construction

and height,

but they all serve their purpose in getting the owners down to the water.

Despite it being a public beach,

there are chairs scattered across the sand

just waiting for the owners and their friends to spend the day sitting on the beach.

Despite the haze coating the hillside, it was another lovely day on the beach.

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Here is an aerial view of the beach on a clear day - obviously not a photo I took.

In case you are in the market, there are a couple of houses on the strip of beach for sale - the cheapest is listed for $11 million.

"a little summer"

I am madly working in the garden 

getting it ready for a Summer Cottage Garden Party.

But, I took some time out this past weekend to "summer-ize" the house.

With sun, sea and sand pillows, ocean art and surfboards, 

one might wonder how I could add any more "summer".

I tucked some wooden buoys into a wire basket

and dug a favorite enamel mug out of the cupboard - I love the colors and the beach scene on the mug.

Shells and a new message were added to our vintage typewriter.

 The living room got a huge dose of seaside decor -

shells from our travels and walks along the beach fill my vintage shopping basket,

buckets and buoys,

weights and starfish decorate the mantel,

and a container of sea glass (gathered over the 17 years since we moved to our beach cottage) are all on display.

The anchor pillow sits on the sofa year round, 

but somehow it looks more summery when paired with patriotic pillows.

Steve likes the display of shells on the cedar chest

because each shell, piece of coral and even the sand, is from a surf trip he took to the Maldives in 2001.

I have seen lots of rooms with whales so I placed my whale bookends on top of some "beachy" books instead of holding the books up.

There's "a little summer" everywhere at our house

and with JP's wedding just 5 weeks away

I don't imagine there will be many changes for quite awhile.

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Join me at

My Salvaged Treasures for the Vintage Inspiration Party

It's a Tough Job

As Steve and I sat on a bench overlooking the ocean today

we laughed about our life.

We ride our bikes along the ocean

or take Lulu on long walks at different beaches in our area.

Both of us have other things we could be doing, but we joke that our "job" is to just enjoy life.

Steve's actual job is to paint

and he is fortunate that he can paint what he wants.

The first two paintings are his most recent pieces and the work in progress is of a family that lives on our street as they head out for a surf session.

My latest "job" is to take pictures.

I am always looking for something to photograph 

for the one picture I post on Instagram each day.

And the day I took this photograph, 

I made a decision.

Our county fair is coming up in August

and I am going to enter 3 photographs (the maximum allowed) in the photography exhibit.

One will be a still life - 

I am having fun staging photos

of things around the house.

I am sure one will involve flowers - 

probably in my garden,

but maybe from around town.

Considering where we live, I know one of the photos will involve the ocean either from a kayaking adventure

or just from one of our walks.

As the saying goes, "it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it" and I'm giving this photography "job" my best effort.